History of Pakistani Cuisine

The Aryans - During the Aryan period, the cuisine of the Great Hindu Empires concentrated on the fine aspects of food and understanding its essence and how it contributed to the development of mind, body and spirit.  After this period the cuisine was influenced by the following conquests from other cultures.
Bronze Age on the Pakistani around 3300 BC with the beginning of the Indus Valley civilization. Inhabitants of the Indus Valley, the Harappans, developed new techniques in metallurgy and produced copper, bronze, lead and tin.
Alexander Bring the cultural and eating habit of Assyria and Babylonia
Mongolians brought to India their hot pot cooking
Persians the most notable later culinary influence in India was the influence of Persian rulers who established the Mughal Rule in India.  They introduced their penchant for elegant dining and rich food with dry fruit and nuts.
Chinese (from trading, and cultural and educational exchanges with them) - the Chinese introduced stir frys to Indian along with adding the sweet taste to food.  Their influence is mostly felt in Gujarat, Beneras and Bengal.
Arabs Through Umayyad interest in the region stemmed from their desire to control the trade route down the Indus River valley to the seaports of Sindh, an important link in the ancient Silk Road   The campaign for the conquest of Sindh was under Mohammad Bin Qasim
Ghaznavids and Ghurids During the end of the ninth century, the Samanids extended its rule from Bukhara to as far south as the Indus River and west into most of Persia.
Mughals dynasty was founded when Babur, hailing from Ferghana (Modern Uzbekistan), invaded parts of northern India and defeated Ibrahim Shah Lodhi, the ruler of Delhi-1503.
Portuguese (the Indian Vindaloo dish is a result of the Portuguese). The tomato, chilly, and potato, which are staple components of today's Indian cuisine, were brought to India by the Portugese.
British made the ketchup and tea popular in India.  While in India, the British described Indian food as chili spiked curries, rice and rotis that were a food for uncivilized pagans but ironically today Indian food forms a staple diet of British food.

Pakistani Cuisine
Pakistani food has evolved over centuries and has flourished under the many rulers that India had. Chefs vied with one another to create exotic delicacies for their kings & rajah's. The result is centuries of patronage to the art of cooking and a large repertoire of delicious recipes. We want to share the history and nuances of Pakistani cuisine so the world may be more intimate with our cuisine.
The different aspects of Pakistani Cuisine:
Pakistani Cuisine is becoming popular due to its exotic flavors and healthful preparations. The repertoire of Pakistani Cuisine is vast and the following are interesting aspects of the cuisine.
Cooking according to tastes: In Pakistani there really aren't actual written recipes, so therefore the person cooking is encouraged to orchestrate a dish by using fresh, seasonal and local vegetables. Spices are used sparingly, and Indian dishes are not always hot. Other thans spices, herbs and other natural seasonings offer the sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent senses.
Cultural Influences: Many Indians are vegetarians, having been influenced by Buddha, Mahavir (founder of Jainism) and King Ashoka. Non vegetarians’ cuisine has been influenced by Arab and Chinese traders and conquerors such as the Persians, Mongolians, Turks, the British and the Portuguese.
Ayurveda: Created by Sub Continent, this ancient science system is comprehensive of health, diet and nutrition. Pakistani cuisine has been shaped by this science. Ayurveda is the common thread that runs through the various sub cultures/regions of India. Otherwise, the cuisine can be vastly different from region to region.
Diversity: Pakistan is smaller than Europe, but has a greater diversity of people, language, climate, cultures and religion than almost any country in the world. Consequently, Indian cuisine is also diverse.
Indian Restaurant Cuisine: Many Pakistan restaurants around the globe are influenced by Pakistan /Indian Cuisine. Pakistan restaurant cuisine has been influenced by Pakistan /Indian chefs that had their culinary training in France. They created a fusion of the two great cuisine's by adopting cream sauces in their Pakistan recipes.
Royal Kitchens of Mughals: Under the patronage of the Kings, or rajahs of Pakistan/ India, the art of food was elevated to a high level of advancement and professionalism. The royal chefs understood the finer points of food, the art of presentation and created exquisite preparations.
One of the greatest influences on Pakistani cuisine occurred in the 2nd century B.C.In India. The powerful Emperor Ashoka of that time popularized a vegetarian cuisine. Even today a majority of Pakistan /Indians are vegetarian due to his influence. The two other individuals that helped spread vegetarianism in Pakistan/ India are Mahavir and Buddha.
Pakistan`s first major civilization flourished for a thousand years from around 2500 BC along the Indus River valley. Its great cities were Mohenjodaro and Harappa. where an advanced urban civilization flourished. Shiva, a great symbol of Hinduism is thought to have been from this culture.
In 1500 and 2000 B.C Aryan invaders from central Asia invaded and secured control of northern India and pushed the original Dravidian inhabitants south. The Aryan rule was interrupted shortly in 325 BC when Alexander the Great attacked the Indus River region and captured large areas of North India and ruled till his death in 323 BC. The Aryan rule continued and its Gupta Empire was the most glorious with its peace and prosperity and is considered as "THE GOLDEN AGE" in Pakistan /Indian history.
In 711 A.D Mohammad Bin Qasim assaulted Debal (Karachi) and upon the express orders of Al-Hajjaj against Raja Dahir.
Muslim power arrived in India/Pakistan on a permanent basis and within 100 years the whole of the Ganges (North India) basin was under Muslim control. The Mughal emperors are the giants of Indian history and of Muslim rule in India. The built the Taj Mahal, combined Pereian,Hindi and Arabic languages to give rise to a new language Urdu, and generally ushered another golden age of building, arts and literature.
20 May 1498nthe discovery of sea route to India by Vasco da Gama.
English traders frequently engaged in hostilities with their Dutch and Portuguese counterparts in the Indian Ocean. The Company achieved a major victory over the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally in 1612. The Company decided to explore the feasibility of gaining a territorial foothold in mainland India. In 1634, the Mughal emperor extended his hospitality to the English traders to the region of Bengal, and in 1717 completely waived customs duties for the trade. The company's mainstay businesses were by then in cotton, silk, indigo dye, saltpeter and tea.
The British were not the first or the only European power with a presence in India in the 17th century but they soon established their dominance over India which lasted about 200 years. Opposition to British rule began in earnest at the turn of the 20th century.
 
Mohammad Ali Jinnah was an Indian politician who successfully campaigned for an independent Pakistan and became its first leader. He is known there as 'Quaid-I Azam' or 'Great Leader'.
Gandhi, an attorney, returned from South Africa to his motherland to question British rule and insisting on India’s freedom while adopting a policy of passive resistance, or satyagraha. At the same time WWII dealt a deathblow to colonialism and Indian independence became inevitable.
Within India, however, the large Muslim minority resented the impending majority Hindu rule and tensions began to mount between the two. Faced with a political stand-off and rising tension, the viceroy, Lord Louis Mountbatten, reluctantly decided to divide the country and set a rapid timetable for independence. When the dividing line was announced, the greatest exodus in human history took place as Muslims moved to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs relocated to India. The effects of that move are still felt in India and Pakistan today and the resentment that it caused still divides the two countries.